The Myth of Organizational Culture

This book’s creative and new approach to understanding how organizations work describes the embedding of organizational paradigms in larger cultural contexts. These contexts significantly influence how individuals within organizations think about and respond to organizational power structures, as well as organizational items such as mission and value statements. Culture cannot simply be used to socially engineer collective behaviors like teamwork and loyalty, as culture can just as easily be a source of conflict as well as a source of unity.
As the author discusses, leaders, rather than focusing on culture, should seek to understand issues related to power as they consider organizational operations and potential directions for change. A radical departure from much work related to organizational dynamics, this book offers invaluable insights for organizational leaders and others interested in organizational change.

J. W. Traphagan, PhD, is professor emeritus in the human dimensions of organizations program at the University of Texas at Austin and affiliated faculty with the organizational dynamics program at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles and lives in the Metropolitan Boston area.

J.W. Traphagan
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 170
Bibliographic Info: 4 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9699-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5634-2
Imprint: Toplight

Acknowledgments v
Preface 1
Chapter 1. The Problem 5
        Culture Matters 16
        Key Takeaways 19
Chapter 2. What Is Culture? 20
        Defining Culture 22
        Culture Is a Complex Concept 43
        Key Takeaways 49
Chapter 3. Why Organizations Don’t Have Cultures 50
        Tacit Value Systems 56
        Key Takeaways 67
Chapter 4. Organizational Ideologies and Paradigms 68
        The Process of Making Our World 76
        Key Takeaways 84
Chapter 5. Power as Productive Force 85
        Power and Organizational Dynamics 99
        Key Takeaways 102
Chapter 6. Promoting Strong Organizations by Understanding Productive Power 103
        Productive Power 107
        key Takeaways 115
Chapter 7. Cultivating an Anthropological Mindset 116
        What Is Research? 128
        The Importance of Power and ­Self-Awareness 131
        Self-Awareness 137
        Key Takeaways 140
Chapter 8. Organizations, Culture, and Change 141
        Key Takeaways 154
Works Cited 155
Index 159